The Last Uchiha
by Dreaming of the Shattered Dawn
Summary: I lost everything to Itachi. My pride, my Clan, even our own brother wasn't spared. I had embraced the path of darkness, until Kaori Uzumaki came into my life. She showed me that the will of a single man, my will, can change the world. She gave me light. Anyone who tries to take her from me will receive no mercy, only fire and death. [Strong/Uchiha!Naruto][NOT INCEST]


**A/N: It has been a really long time, hasn't it?**

 **The last time I wrote anything for you guys was about a year ago, the latest chapter of Will of a Single Man. But to be honest, that story is a goner. I started it as a novice writer who just wanted all of the badassery without knowing how to write a good plot. About the only thing I still think I did well was how I portrayed Fem!Naruto (Kazuko).**

 **It is an idea that still has potential, and that's why this story exists. This is a spiritual successor/rewrite of WoaSM. Naruto is still an Uchiha, still of the same lineage, however he was born in the canon timeframe instead of the Warring States era.**

 **Naruto is still paired with a female version of his canon counterpart, whose name is Kaori instead of Kazuko and I am primarily basing her appearance off of Rem from Re:Zero, just to paint a picture for you all. Aside from influences in character portrayal, there won't be any crossovers at all, unlike the original story.**

 **I hope you all like this story and view it as being even better than it's predecessor.**

 **Let's go.**

* * *

 **[Opening Theme: Inferno by 9mm Parabellum Bullet]**

 **[Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto]**

* * *

 **[Arc 1: The Last Uchiha]**

 **[Chapter 1: The Vow]**

* * *

 _The crisp air of the night and the scent of blood._

 _'This again?' Naruto Uchiha thought with no small amount of despair. Nine years have passed since the infamous Uchiha Downfall, which left him the only surviving loyal member of his clan, thanks to his former cousin and adopted elder brother, Itachi. Yes, the sixteen year old was merely seven years old when the massacre happened._

 _'But those wounds are still as fresh as they were back then.' Naruto lamented, his onyx eyes devoid of light taking in the sight of his former home decorated in blood and corpses._

 _"Foolish little brother..." Itachi's voice resonated through the hellscape with a familiar deep timbre. "You couldn't save your clan, nor could you save Sasuke from me. What do you have left to protect? What more can I take from you?"_

 _Naruto's eyes narrowed in barely concealed rage, turning a crimson color with two tomoe surrounding his pupils. "Nothing. You took my family from me. I won't let you take what I've come to hold dear too, now begone!"_

* * *

 **[Naruto's Apartment]**

* * *

His hand slapped down on his noisy alarm and not for the first time, Naruto thanked it for the rescue. The teen went through his normal morning routine, which included stretches, breakfast, showering, and shaving. At the end, he stared at his reflection in the mirror with a satisfied expression. His shaggy black hair, which he personally thinks it makes him look like a shorter-haired Madara, lay perfectly in place. His eyes still looked a bit sunken due to the bad night of sleep, but that would clear up in short order. Naruto ran his hand across his face and smirked, noting that no stray hairs remained.

'Today is graduation, and I've finally stepped over one more stone towards my goal.' He thought in satisfaction. He was at the top of his class, not that it was difficult. He hadn't spent the many years of schooling idling by. Every day, he honed his skills to a razor sharp edge. A ninja that doesn't strive to be ahead is a dead shinobi, even if it is in a 'peace time' world. Now he could have a real teacher who could help him advance even further to where he needs to be.

Naruto pulled out his favored attire, a short sleeved black Uchiha-style shirt with matching combat pants and shinobi sandals with white tape wrapped around his shins. Practical and stylish. His thoughts began to drift towards his teammates and their possible lack of competitive skill, but he quickly banished them. "I won't be like that man. He abandoned his clan and village, viewing us as beneath him. Even if they can't keep up, they'll still be my comrades and I'll treat them as such." He muttered to himself as he left his apartment.

"I'll surpass him and I'll do it without following his path."

* * *

 **[Academy/a few hours later]**

* * *

Naruto decided that the black Konoha headband looked pretty good on him. The Genin test was rather simple, consisting of a demonstration of the Replacement, Transformation, and the Clone Jutsus along with basic weapon accuracy and Taijutsu tests. He looked around the courtyard where all the new shinobi congregated and he frowned upon seeing all of the happy families. Short feelings of pain and longing in his heart were nothing new.

He spotted a familiar face sitting on the swing near the entrance and Naruto's expression brightened slightly. She was his best friend. His only real friend, really. The only one to want his companionship for genuine reasons that didn't include his infamy. Kaori Uzumaki.

"What's up, Flakey?" She calls out to him, her normally soft but confident voice sounding rather off.

Naruto, ignoring the nickname, frowned upon noticing her appearance. Kaori took care of herself, being very meticulous about her appearance outside of fights. Her medium-length blonde hair still stayed in place, covering her right eye while the other side was held back by a hair clip with a preserved orange flower attached to it. Her clothing, a black and burnt orange track jacket with a orange skirt, black spandex shorts, and black kunoichi heeled boots looked messier than usual and her cerulean eyes were tainted red with tears.

"What happened?" He asked her in concern.

Kaori chuckled mirthlessly. "I flunked the Clone Jutsu. Again."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Did you try the Shadow Clone Jutsu like I had told you?"

"I asked, but Mizuki-sensei said that it had to be the normal Clone Jutsu." She muttered, both in slight anger and sadness.

That got his attention. As far as he knew, Naruto had never heard of a rule where alternative Jutsu couldn't be used. He walked over to her and comfortingly patted her head, making her huff in annoyance. "There are make-up tests scheduled over the next few days, I know you can do it, doofus. Worst case scenario, demonstrate the Shadow Clones and ask the Hokage if you can get a pass."

"Gramps will just tell me to do the Academy version like everyone else, but I'll try." She spike while swatting his hand away, her cheeks reddened slightly. "And you owe me ramen for calling me a doofus, dattebane! You're lucky I didn't kick your pale Uchiha ass for that."

Naruto chuckled and poked her forehead, eliciting a yelp. "You called me Flakey first. Meet me at Ichiraku's tonight and I'll buy this round. Later."

Kaori watched him leave with an annoyed glare, muttering "Annoying pink-eyed bastard, thinks he's soooo cool walking around with his shiny headband-ttebane..."

Her rant, however, was interrupted by the arrival of her Chunin instructor, Mizuki. "Hey Kaori, I got something to tell you. Meet me on the roof of the academy." He spoke kindly before vanishing in a cascade of leaves.

"I wonder what that's about?" She wondered as she went to go see her sensei, unknowing of his nefarious intentions.

* * *

 **[Nighttime]**

* * *

'She's late.' Naruto thought with a frown as he stood outside the ramen stand. 'Kaori wouldn't ever pass up free ramen. Did something happen?'

Out of the corner of his eye, the Uchiha spotted a shadow darting across the rooftops carrying a large scroll. "That's the Forbidden Scroll! Oh no you don't!" He exclaimed, taking off after the thief.

Naruto chases them out of the village and well into the forest surrounding Konoha, finally coming to a stop in a clearing that contained a small shack. Two surprised gasps sounded out. "Kaori? What the hell?!"

The blonde stuck her tongue out at her friend, taking on a more victorious expression. "So how did I do? I got it all by myself!" She proudly proclaimed.

"Do you know what you've done? You stole the Hokage's Forbidden Scroll! That's probably extremely illegal!" He shouted back at her, eliciting a confused expression from Kaori. "Who gave you this idea, doofus?"

"Mizuki-sensei said that nabbing this thing would take a lot of skill and if I were to do it and learn a Jutsu from it, I'd pass! He told me it was a secret exam." Kaori explained, quickly realizing that something was amiss, given Naruto's reaction.

He rubbed his brow in anger and frustration. "Look, he lied to you. Probably wants it for himself and used you as a proxy so that it wouldn't be traced back to him. How long do we have until he's supposed to come here?"

Kaori sat on the ground next to the shack and said "About an hour. What do you have in mind?"

"We got some time to kill, so how about we make use of it by learning some new stuff from that scroll?" Naruto replied with a mischievous smile. "Then I'll hide and we'll take him down together."

The blonde nodded with a grin and opened the scroll, her eyes gaining a rather enchanting sparkle. "What do you think about this one, Flakey?"

Naruto sat next to her and looked over, becoming surprised at what she was showing him. "That Jutsu? That seems too complicated to learn in such a short time, I can't even understand the instructions."

"That's okay" Kaori chirped while patting his shoulder. "It's clear as day to me."

* * *

 **[One hour later]**

* * *

Mizuki smirked as he flew through the treetops. All it took was one transformed Shadow Clone to throw Konoha's pursuit off their target and all that's left is to collect the scroll. 'And finally kill that demon bitch.' He thought with a satisfied smile. A little longer and he can finally let his parents rest in peace, knowing their killer is no more.

Arriving at the rendezvous point, the former Chūnin was surprised to see the state of the place. A very large portion of the forest behind the shack was reduced to little more than smoldering ashes and the intact portion of the area was riddled with many kunai, as if someone was doing some target practice. "Kaori? Where are you?" He called out after getting over his shock.

The Uzumaki girl hobbled out from behind the shack, her clothing riddled with dirt and her breathing heavy from tiredness. "Hey sensei, I learned a Jutsu just like you told me to. Can't say I've got it down pat, but I can make it work."

"That's good, but I got to get the scroll back to the Hokage quickly. Hand it over." Mizuki demanded with an extended hand.

"Don't do it Kaori! He's lying to you!"

Kaori's eyes darted to the treetops and gasped in surprise upon seeing her other, more favored sensei staring at her intently. "Iruka-sensei? What are you doing here?"

Mizuki grit his teeth, glaring hatefully at his childhood rival. "Lying to her? You mean like how everyone has lied to her since she was born?!"

Iruka went rigid and looked to his former comrade. "Don't do it Mizuki, it'll only end badly!"

"Sixteen years ago, the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konoha, taking many lives in it's rampage. Some of those lives included the Fourth Hokage and his wife, my family, Iruka's family, and even your best friend's true parents lost their lives in the attack." Mizuki told, relishing the confusion in the eyes of Kaori that would soon turn to agony. "The Fourth Hokage gave up his own life to defeat the monster, but one cannot truly kill a Bijū, only seal it away into someone. A human sacrifice to become the monster's mortal incarnation."

Naruto, who had camouflaged himself within the treetop, began to come to the same realization as his friend and he couldn't help but hesitate to jump out. 'Kaori is a Jinchuriki...if that damned beast?' He thought in distress. The Uchiha knew that she wasn't the beast itself, but the seed of darkness in his heart was strong. A single thought, an idea arose in his subconscious mind. 'If he were to kill her, would the fox die too?'

"I'm...I'm the..." Kaori stammered in shock as she felt her heart race at the outrageous, but somewhat truthful accusation.

Mizuki grinned madly, grabbing a large shuriken off of his back and spinning it. "That's right, Kaori, you finally figured out something I've taught you. To weaken the beast, to make it mortal, our late Hokage sealed the fox into a human! You are the Nine-Tailed Fox! Now Die!"

Naruto, frozen in place, watched Mizuki throw his weapon at the person who had been his best friend his whole life. Iruka wouldn't be able to react in time, his activates Sharingan told him that much. Seeing Kaori so close to her end made him reflect during the endless moments that seemed to pass.

* * *

 **[Nine Years Ago]**

* * *

 _Naruto stared at his reflection in the water. Before the massacre, the Naka Riverbank was where he and his brother Sasuke would spend endless hours skipping rocks. It was always a competition with the two of them, though Naruto always won, if only barely. Drops of liquid fell into the water and the lone Uchiha felt warm tears leave his eyes once more. "You're still crying, brother?" Naruto murmured, touching one of his eyelids. "Just keep watching through these eyes of ours, Sasuke. We'll pay him back tenfold when the time comes."_

 _"Whatcha doin'?" A high pitch voice called out._

 _Naruto jumped with a bit of a yell, nearly falling into the water. He turned around with a scowl, seeing a smiling girl his age with blonde hair tied up in pigtails and a bright set of blue eyes. "Watch where you're doing! I hate it when people stand behind me!" He yelled._

 _"Hey, I was just worried, dattebane! You looked sad, Flakey Boy." The girl replied indignantly, plopping down on the ground next to him. "Why are you so upset?"_

 _'Is this girl the only person in the world who doesn't know who I am?' Naruto wondered. "I am Naruto Uchiha."_

 _The girl gained a look of recognition. "Oh." She said, looking a bit down. 'All alone too, aren't you?'_

 _"So, what's your name?" Naruto asked, deciding to humor the girl. "I've told you mine, it's only fair that I know yours."_

 _She stayed deep in thought for several moments before jumping up with a large grin, reaching out with her hand. "I'm Kaori Uzumaki-ttebane, and we're best friends from this moment onwards!"_

 _"We just met, Kaori. Don't you have any other friends?" Naruto scoffed, though the pained expression that statement gave her made him wince._

 _"Not really." She admitted. "But neither do you Flakey. Now, we don't have that problem anymore, so just go along with it!"_

 _Naruto smiled for the first time in months and shook her petit hand. Over the many years that followed, they were known to be inseparable, much to the ire of the more hateful villagers. The Last Uchiha and the Demon Girl. But even though he was tainted with darkness and sorrow, she'd carry his light and smile for him until he could bear them himself._

 _That's how it always has been, and how it would always be._

* * *

 **[Present]**

* * *

Kaori honestly believed that she was going to die at the moment. All sounds for the serene forest echoed out, from the chirping crickets to the gentle flow of water from a nearby creek. The sound of Iruka's fearful shriek and the whistle of the shuriken slicing through the air. Kaori closed her eyes and awaited her deserved demise. As the reviled and feared beast, she deserved no less, in her own mind.

But it never came.

Mizuki blinked in confusion, seeing his weapon cut through the space where his target had once been and land deeply into the shack's wall. "What the hell?!" He cried out in anger and surprise.

Kaori opened her eyes to find herself held in Naruto's arms on the shack's roof. "Naruto?" She asked in uncertainty and surprise, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"They say that every ninja experiences a day that defines who they are as a person. A day where they form their own way of the ninja. Our experiences define us, you know?" He began to speak as he gently set Kaori down, his hair casting a shadow over his one visible eye. "I once thought my Clan's massacre set me down the path of an avenger, and it has. But Kaori showed me that my life can be more than that. She became my only friend, the only remaining precious person I have."

"What's the point? Some animals are capable of imitating feelings every now and then." Mizuki mocked, ignoring the foreboding feeling coming from the Uchiha.

"If she were a demon, she wouldn't have reached out to me that day. No, she's a human down to the marrow of her bones. She is Kaori Uzumaki of Konoha, my best friend!" Naruto proudly proclaimed, glancing at her tearful form with a small amount of affection. "I will never hesitate again and I will always keep my word. I will always protect those I consider precious and anyone that threatens them shall be eradicated."

The fallen instructor began to laugh. "That's rich, you actually care for that thing? It doesn't matter, you're going to die for your interference anyways!"

Naruto glared at the man with nothing but malice in his Sharingan eye, three tomoes spinning slowly in the pupil. "This is my ninja way. I will destroy anyone that threatens her!"

Mizuki saw him weave seals, but passed it off as a show. 'It's not like some green brat will be able to take me down. Even if he learned something from that scroll, there's no way he could've mastered it.' He thought, preparing his second shuriken for battle.

Naruto finished on the Horse Seal and inhaled deeply. " ** _Fire Style: Majestic Flame Destroyer!_** " He spat out a massive wave of white flames hot enough to turn everything in it's path to ashes.

Iruka looked at the boy in shock. "That's...Madara's most famous Fire Style Jutsu! He learned it in an hour?!"

Mizuki, however, didn't even have the chance to speak. He was incinerated in the inferno before he could do anything and in mere moments, he was nothing but ash in the wind. Seeing his foe consumed by his Jutsu, Naruto deactivated the technique and fell to his knees exhausted. "I can only manage two before I drain myself." He huffed, looking at the demolished forest in front of him in annoyance. "It's not even close to it's full legendary power either, but that'll take time."

Iruka leapt down from the treetop and looked at the two teens with worry. "Are you guys okay?" He asked.

Naruto smiled at the man, who had always been kind to the two. "I'm fine, just suffering a bit of chakra exhaus-"

" _NARUTO-KUN!_ " Kaori cried as slammed into him with the force of a petit blonde torpedo. "Are you okay? I was really worried-ttebane. I mean, you're super strong but Mizuki was a Chūnin and you just got out of the academy. What would I have done if he killed you?! Speaking of which, you just killed him! That's gotta be rough, but if you need to talk, I'm here dattebane!"

Naruto poked her in the forehead with a sigh, cutting off her excited gibbering. "Calm down, I had it under control. And in case you forgot, it'll take more than a half-baked Chūnin to bring me down. I'm kind of glad you didn't get to show your trick off though. It's one hell of a trump card."

Iruka smiled at the hugging teens and approached them. "Kaori, close your eyes. I've got a present for you." He said, causing Naruto to smirk.

Kaori did so, but began to feel a smooth fabric wrapped around her neck. Opening her eyes, she looked downwards and gasped, seeing Iruka's own head band. "Sensei?"

"For helping us distract the rogue ninja Mizuki so that Naruto could take him out, I promote you to Genin. Congratulations, Kaori!" Iruka proudly proclaimed as dawn's light broke out over the trees. "And Naruto-kun, huh?"

Kaori turned her head away in a huff, her face reddened in embarrassment. "I never said that dattebane!" She rebuffed with a slight stammer. "I was going to hug you for the promotion, but forget about it!"

As the trio laughed, Naruto looked at his friend fondly. 'I promise, come what may, nothing shall ever drive us apart. I'll protect you, always.' He thought before his eyes gained a look of pure hatred. 'And there will be no mercy for anyone that stands in the way of that promise.'

* * *

 _The Son of Darkness and The Daughter of Light._

 _Yin and Yang._

 _Separate, they are powerful_

 _Together, they are invincible._

 _Together, they are the Children of Prophecy._

 _One day, the Son shall make a choice that shall determine not only the fate of the Daughter, but that of the Earth itself._

 _The Saviors or The Destroyer._

 _His Will shall change the world._

* * *

 **[To Be Continued]**

* * *

 **[Ending Theme: Styx Helix by Myth & Roid]**

* * *

 **Hope you all liked the chapter!**

 **Please let me know your thoughts in your review or perhaps any advice.**

 **Yes, Kaori's Jutsu will play a very great role in the story and I felt like it would be better for her to reveal it after she has made good progress in mastering it.**

 **See you guys next time!**

 **I am thinking about doing a Re:Zero crossover story in the near future. There are only like two English stories! Of course it would be Naruto x Rem. Rem is best grill, not shitmilia.**


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